Jonny's Revenge
by Gothic-Princess-77
Summary: Title is self-explanatory. Warning! Death, gore. You've been warned. No flames please!


Hey guys! So, this is my first Ed Edd 'n' Eddy fanfic. It's set a few years after the Big Picture Show and the title kind of says it all. People have probably done stuff like this before, but I haven't seen anything like it so I'm going with it!

This is partly inspired by a song of the same title by Crown the Empire. I owe thanks to my best friend for introducing me to this band and this song! You know who you are! Oh, and while you're reading this, I would suggest listening to the song, but it's not totally necessary- Johnny's Revenge by Crown the Empire.

**Warning(s)**

Death, blood, gore, general horror, and insanity.

SEMI-VAGUE mention of rape, and it's only in the story once.

A lot of cursing.

Character death.

Semi-mysterious random OC girl.

If none of this sits well with you, please hit the back button.

**Rating**

M, just in case, because there's gore and blood and mentioned rape, and I'm paranoid about my ratings.

**Disclaimer- **I don't own Ed Edd 'n' Eddy or the song that inspired this story.

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Jonny's Revenge

Jonny 2x4 was always a nice kid. He wasn't particularly bright, and probably would be considered really naïve, but there wasn't a mean bone in his body. The boy had never gone out of his way to be nice, but he'd never been purposely mean either. He was a happy-go-lucky kind of kid, and average altogether. At least that was what everyone always thought

However, not everything is as it seems.

The boy had harbored a deep, dark, nasty secret deep, deep inside his soul, so deep not even his parents, the ones who should know the child best, noticed it. But it was there, and oh so prominent to him. He knew something inside him had become different, though he knew not how rotten it was. He blamed his wooden friend, Plank, also known as Timber the Dark Shard. Timber knew everything. Timber was always right. It didn't bother him that Timber only spoke to him, and it seemed to be in his head. It just meant he was better than everyone else and that everyone, even the egg-head Double D, was dumber than him. It made him feel special, important.

So, when Timber suggested adding on to the lair, where they had once had their base of heroic operations, adding editions to hold as areas of punishment for those who had betrayed him, Jonny was all for it. He was looking for ways to make them pay. Timber said it would be temporary. Jonny believed him, and quickly set to work.

It took weeks, months, years, to build his underground haven of "morally gray" paradise. Then finally it was done, a neutral paradise hewed from rock and metal, and it was time to set Timber's plan into action. They would detain the evil, vile traitors, and teach them a lesson before setting them free to do as they pleased with what remained of their miserable little lives.

Buried deep inside, though, he knew once he had them they were never going anywhere. The punishments were elaborate, fears that would strike the traitors down and cause them to weep. The place where the punishments were set were impenetrable. It never occurred to him, though, that they wouldn't be able to leave and be trapped forever. It was subconscious, but Jonny was slowly letting the evil take over him.

Even if he'd known, he wouldn't of cared less.

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

"Yo, Dee!" The medium-height, skinny boy turned around. There was nothing out of place on him. His sweater was perfectly straight, his black dress pants, too formal for high school and yet he didn't seem to care, were perfectly ironed, and the books he held in his arms were stacked in a way from largest on the bottom to smallest at the top of the stack.

A smile appeared on his face, revealing a gap in his teeth that must be the bane of his existence, considering how he seemed to like everything to be perfectly, well, perfect.

"Greetings, Angerona. How have you been?" the boy asked, the smile never faltering as the girl jogged up to him. She was his opposite, dressed in a rather punk way, her slightly wrinkled top blaring the name of a death metal band, her skinny jeans ripped, and her black combat boots thudding dully over the ground. She had the right side of her nose pierced, and her hair was, surprisingly, bubblegum pink, being the only thing about her that wasn't dark.

"Dude. How many times have I told you? No damn formalities! I fucking HATE my real name, it's JUST Angie!" Angerona snapped, crossing her arms across her small chest and glaring at her slightly taller friend, who's smile had faded slightly at her vulgar language.

"Very well, Angie. However there was no need for such horrible language," her friend scolded lightly, his face disapproving. He had never liked violence, or dishonesty, or cuss words. He was such a fuddy-duddy, as she often said, and yet, somehow, they remained close friends.

Angie simply rolled her eyes, and shifted her haphazardly stacked books in her arms, standing there uncomfortably. "Whatever, Double D. So, what did you want to talk to me about, anyway?" She was currently debating just dropping her books, sitting on the floor, and skipping class. She'd gotten no sleep last night because she was video-chatting her (now ex) boyfriend and she really couldn't care less about school after such a shitty breakup, but Double D had said to meet at his locker to talk, and then they would walk to class together, and if she tried to skip, she'd never hear the end of it from the goody-two-shoes.

"Ah! Yes, there was something I wanted to ask of you! Jonny, he mentioned a party at his house, and that the whole school was invited. Ed, Eddy, and I will be going. Were you going to accompany us?" Double D asked, his blue eyes shining hopefully. He was always so naïve when it came to socializing, never made trouble, and he wanted to keep his friends there, under the same guidelines he'd imposed upon himself. He couldn't see why they wouldn't "hang out" at the party anyway, being best friends and all.

Now Angie's brows were furrowed in puzzlement as she asked, "What party? I haven't heard anything. ...Wait, Jonny? The little bald, round-headed, happy so often it makes you sick, kid? That kid is having a party? Never thought I'd see the day." Her face had turned thoughtful, while Double D was once again frowning at his dear friend's words. Surely Jonny would have thought to invite her? After all, she hung around the cul-de-sac kids often enough. "Hey, come on, calm down! It's a big school, I'm sure it just slipped his mind! Yeah, I'll come with you. I mean, if the whole school is invited, right?" Angie mused, once again shifting her books and starting to walk slowly down the hall towards their classrooms, albeit reluctantly. She still wanted to skip.

Then that same, happy smile was back on Double D's face as he forced himself to push his doubt's aside. "Excellent! Then perhaps we can all meet at Eddy's before the party to go there together?" Angie forced a small smile and nodded in agreement. She didn't much like Eddy; he was a pervert, and he was rather stupid, with this weird obsession over money and jawbreakers. But, he was best friends with Double D, so she put up with him in order to hang with her only smart friend. The two of them were gradually rubbing off on each other.

Two years ago, before they met, Angie would not have even offered that small smile, and Double D would not even be considering going to a party. Exact opposite though they were, Angie and Double D were the only things that could keep each other in line, in a sort of way.

Angerona was mean, crude, loud, obnoxious, hateful, and stomped around like she owned the world. The girl rebelled against anything that looked even remotely like a rule, her rebellious nature something she seemed to have inherited from her parents, who had similar tastes, death metal their favorite music, and black their favorite color.

Eddward, or "Double D", was a goody-two-shoes, a stickler for the rules, and a teacher's pet in every sense of the word. His parents expected nothing less of him than perfection, and it was simple for him to reach this goal set out for him. He was an overachiever, had straight As, and would be more than content to stay at home, cleaning, if not for Ed and Eddy always dragging him out of his house.

Then the two of them met at summer school, Double D of his own violation and desire for more knowledge, while Angerona's parents had forced her to attend so she wouldn't be held back. She was new to the school, having been kicked out of her old one, and her parents thought it best they move so they could start anew (again) and Angerona would not be judged. Despite their punk nature, they still wanted their daughter to have an education and a chance at a better life than what they had in their pathetic apartment.

"Whatever. Time for class. Ugh, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even **go **to class!" Angie moaned as she broke away from her friend to head for her first class of the day, English. Despite her groaning, she actually did enjoy that class, and **only **that class. Maybe it would brighten her dreary day some.

"Right! Don't forget, meet tonight at Eddy's house at 6:30!" Double D called as Angie disappeared into her classroom with a wave of acknowledgment. Then Double D smiled to himself at his friend's nonchalant behavior before heading for his own class, humming a happy tune as he went.

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

"So, we heading to this party or what?" Eddy demanded, hands on his hips as he leveled his signature glare on each and every person in his room. The teen's room hadn't changed too much since his junior high days, additions being that of posters that came and went as bands went in and out of style. Even after all these years, Eddy still had a desire to fit in and be popular, so he was determined to keep up with the style, even if a band he liked was no longer cool. The still short boy was wearing casual jeans, his tennis shoes, and a plaid, button down shirt, at Double D's insistence that he at least look decent for this party.

"I wanna go, Eddy, I do, I do! Was I invited, Eddy?" Ed shouted, waving his arms around like a child might. He was wearing wrinkled jeans that looked like he'd picked them up off the floor and a white collared button down shirt that had probably been at the bottom of a pile that Ed considered "clean" and his ratty old tennis shoes that he never seemed to have grown out of or clean. The tall, lovable oaf had never been big on cleanliness, but he had tried, somewhat, for the sake one of his best friend's, the one who had OCD and a desire for everything to be clean.

"Oh, for goodness sake, Ed! We've been over this! We would not be dressed like this if we were not going to the party!" Double D exclaimed, nearly at the end of his rope with his friend. Normally, the brainiac had limitless patience with his friend, but today had been slightly more stressful than usual, so naturally he wasn't ready to really concentrate on explaining things over and over to Ed.

Double D, of course, was dressed perfectly, his pants ironed, his dress shirt also ironed, his tie perfectly straight. As soon as Angerona had walked in the door, she knew she was going to have to be the one to convince him to at least take off the tie. She herself had wisely gone with black skinny jeans, her signature lace-up Goth boots, and a dark purple v-neck with silver designs on it.

"Oh no, no, no, no! Too formal, this is a casual party, not a wedding!" Angie declared, marching right up to him and, without further ado, untied the tie and yanked it off, throwing it to the floor and ignoring the genius' protests. Then she unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and untucked it, circling Double D and studying him, shaking her head in disapproval, and yet knowing that was all she could do with his button down dark blue shirt, black dress pants, and black dress shoes.

"Angerona! I had my outfit perfect! Why must you try to "fix" it?" Double D wailed, trying to tuck his shirt back in, only for Angie to smack him on the back of the head. The two soon fell into an argument, neither of them willing to give any ground on their position.

"Knock it off, both of you. You look fine, Sockhead, so let's get to this party now!" Eddy snapped, his patience finally up. It took a few minutes, but Eddy and Ed finally managed Double D to go along with what Angerona said, and she smirked triumphantly. The four trudged out of Eddy's house and headed down the street to Jonny's house. The dark, October night was silent, not a bird or bug making a sound anywhere, which was strange in and of itself, but the four teens tried to shake it off. The other cul-de-sac kids were already there when the four friends walked through the door to Jonny's house, which opened on its own when they had knocked, and they were the only ones there.

"What gives? Where is everyone?" the jock of the group, Kevin, demanded while looking unimpressed. He wore his signature hat over his red hair, along with black jeans and a green t-shirt.

"Jonny did invite everyone, yes?" Double D asked tentatively, glancing around the decent sized house nervously, as though he expected people to jump out of nowhere and scare him.

Angerona rolled her eyes again, as she was prone to doing, and then glanced around the room. It was too quiet. There'd been no birds around the house. Jonny'd been acting a little strange. No one else had heard anything of a party. At least, none of her punk friends had, and there were a lot of them who put their ears to the ground for things like this. Now, Angie was no rocket scientist, but she knew when someone was planning something very Not Good.

"I smell a trap," she stated. Before anyone could react to her statement, there was a mechanical whirl, and then a few clanking sounds, and then the ground seemed to open up below them, and they all let out screams as they fell down, down, down, the light fading away as they left the world of normalcy behind.

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

Slowly, he came back to himself, sitting up to rub at his head. Wait. His head?! Where was his hat? Frantically, he jumped to his feet, running around the small gray room he'd found himself in like a chicken with its head cut off. When he had searched the admittedly small room within minutes, he sat down on the ground and put his head in his hands. He was nothing without that hat! He wasn't safe without it...

Running his hands over his head, he felt his hair, reminding him that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. As he tugged at his dark locks, he shook his head, forcing himself to his feet. He couldn't afford to fall apart now, because Ed and Eddy probably needed him right now...Oh! The cul-de-sac kids had been with them, hadn't they?! Where had everyone gone?

Angerona had been right; the whole night was a trap. Jonny had only invited the cul-de-sac kids for some reason, and now...they were in some kind of underground shelter, or more likely, prison. So, he had to be the one to find a way out and save everyone, considering he was really the only one with common sense.

So, thinking rationally, it shouldn't really be possible for all of this to be real, so perhaps it was all a digital image? He looked around, searching the small room. "Ah-ha!" he exclaimed when he spotted the metal door. He jogged to it, and then, with only slight hesitation, pressed his hands against the door. To his complete disappointment, it was not an illusion. The metal and rock walls were completely real.

"Curses! Oh, however will I get out of this?" he wailed, once again clutching his head, tugging on his hair and starting to pace. He'd never wished so much for Ed to be here. The lovable oaf would just break the doors down. "It's hopeless!" he finally declared, leaning against a wall, the one farthest from the door, and, surprisingly, fell through it!

"Goodness!" he said to himself, standing up and dusting himself off. So, only the exit walls had been real, then? He glanced around his new environment. The room he had quite literally fallen into was white, and looked more like a hospital room than anything else in the world.

"Ah! Ah! No! Get that fucking needle away from me!" a scream rang out, echoing in the room, and it sounded familiar, so he jogged toward it. The white rooms he'd found himself in were larger, as though built like an actual hospital under the ground.

Then he went in another room, and spotted the red-headed jock, strapped to an operating table. His eyes were dilated, and his breathing was far too fast. He must have been drugged, because there was not a needle in sight, and he was still screaming hysterically. Only a few times before had he seen the jock fall apart like that, and it was horrible.

"Kevin! Oh dear Lord, Kevin! Come on, it's me, Double D!" the genius shouted, rushing to the jock's side to begin unstrapping him from the table. Kevin's eyes met Double D's, but he couldn't be sure if the red-head actually saw him, so, hesitating only slightly, he freed Kevin and then stepped back, but the jock had jumped up as soon as he was free and tackled Double D like he would in football. All the air was knocked out of him, but he still managed to free one hand, and slap Kevin across the face.

Kevin blinked once, twice, and then sat back, finally letting Double D up as he looked around, seeing clearly for the first time since he woke up. "Double Dweeb? Where are we, man?" he asked, voice quiet by his standards and throat sore from all the screaming he'd done.

"I honestly don't know, Kevin, although I fear Angie was indeed right and this was a trap, although what purpose would Jonny have for trapping us?" Double D mused, standing up and dusting himself off. Kevin sat cross-legged on the floor, shaking his head and watching as the now-hat-less genius paced. He'd never been one to think himself, always a "go-with-the-flow" kind of guy, but even he could see that Double D's brain was going to be their greatest ally in this prison. So he waited, and the genius paced.

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

"Damn, what happened?" Angie moaned as she hauled herself to her feet, glancing around the room. Great. She was trapped with the dumb Ed's crazy sister and her crybaby friend. Sarah and Jimmy were definitely **not **the people she would want to be trapped in a metal room with. In fact, she'd rather be stuck with those sluts the Kankers than Sarah and Jimmy...okay, maybe not the **Kankers. **She'd definitely rather be trapped with the Eds, or Rolf and Kevin maybe? Those were the only people she was okay with.

"Sarah, where are we?! What's going on, I'm scared!" Jimmy sobbed, and Sarah tried to console the pale, sickly, boy, although Angie noted she never once touched him. She found it odd, but shrugged it off, thinking perhaps Jimmy didn't want to be touched right then.

"Awe, shuddup. Obviously, as I said earlier, Jonny led you all right into a trap, and I was just collateral damage. The question is, his motive...revenge is the only reason **I'd **go to this kind of trouble, so let's assume Jonny wants revenge. Can you two think of anything that happened to Jonny that he would blame you lot for?" Angie asked. Her brain was working at super-sonic speeds. All those years reading tabloid articles about conspiracy theories made a mind paranoid, but also more likely to work well in times of stress or danger. That, and this sounded an awful lot like a video game she once played a long time ago, or maybe a movie she watched?

Sarah was still glaring at Angie for telling them to shut up so callously, but the punk girl did have a point. Revenge was a likely motive. Half the time, it seemed revenge was what made the world spin, but she could think of nothing that would have upset Jonny. He was just too happy to have a need for revenge, so Angie was wrong, and she told the pink-haired girl as much.

Angie hummed in acknowledgement of Sarah's accusation, but she didn't really seem to be listening. In truth, her thoughts were elsewhere. Though she hadn't known any of these teens for long, and certainly not Jonny, something of this magnitude, that she hadn't even **noticed**, must have been slow-building and a long process, which meant that Jonny had been planning this for a long time. While she'd always sensed something off about the bald boy, never had a malicious intent shown through. However, it seemed she was wrong. How long had Jonny been hiding this dark side?

"Okay so this is bull! Figure out what is going on here!" Sarah roared. Angie rolled her eyes once again, ignoring the two brats and walking on. If they wanted to find a way out, they could follow her. If they doubted her, they could figure things out on their own. It was their choice. She wasn't Saint Peter; she wasn't responsible for them in any way.

"Sarah, don't be so hard on Angie. She can't know everything. We should just be lucky we have her here and not someone who would be useless, like Eddy," Jimmy spoke up. He'd pretty much been crying ever since they woke up in their metal prison, but now he was coherent. He was not good with pressure, or misfortune, being a rather gentle soul, but what he knew of Angerona, she was used to hardship and they would need her help.

The red-head subsided with a grumble. Sarah didn't trust Angie, nor did she trust the fact that the punk knew more about this situation than would be considered healthy, but maybe that could be considered her parents fault. It was never the kid's fault how it was raised, and Angie was no exception. Her parents raised her to be...well, her, and that's how she was. Scary, bitchy, and a punkish freak.

They walked through the stone halls. Jimmy jumped at every sudden sound, while Sarah snarled and whined about everything Angie said or decided. Angerona did not have a limitless supply of patience and Sarah was quite honestly starting to test what little she **did **have. What she wouldn't give to spin around and tear into the brat! Alas, she could not, for sweet, lovable Ed adored his little sister and she didn't want to upset her one of her only friends.

"That's it! I swear, either you've been purposely leading us in circles, or you've got no clue where you're going!" Sarah finally roared. It felt like they'd been walking for hours, but Angie knew the tricks time could play on one's mind, and it had likely only been forty-five minutes before Sarah had lost her cool. Impressive self-control for the red-head, she would admit, but she had a headache and honestly wasn't in the mood for the brat's bitching, so she kept walking, even as Sarah stopped and screamed at her from where she stood, her face turning a bright red to match her hair and Angerona just continued to walk on and ignore her.

"Angie! Angie!" Sarah continued to shriek at the top of her lungs, but Angie just ignored her again, not stopping as she walked.

It was only Jimmy's panicked shriek of, "Angerona!" that made her spin around, to see the two younger teens had fallen back quite a ways, and that a pit had opened beneath them, with the two barely hanging on. Cursing to herself as she saw their dire predicament, she sprinted back towards them, determined to save them from falling into the pit.

"Sarah, I'm slipping!" Jimmy cried, tears shining in his eyes as his frail little hands slipped.

"Hang on, Jimmy!" Sarah ordered. While they'd both fallen in at the same time, Sarah was obviously stronger than the weak, girly-boy. Her words of wisdom were pointless. Jimmy lost his grip, and let out a little scream as he started falling into the pit. "Jimmy!" Sarah cried as her friend fell. She wanted to reach for him, but didn't dare let go, even with only one hand.

Just when it seemed certain he would die, Jimmy felt his arm nearly get wrenched from the socket as someone grabbed hold of his hand. Jimmy tilted his tear-stained face upward, even as Angie gasped out, "Gotcha." She may dress scary, and have pink hair, but in that instant, Angerona Smith looked like an angel to Jimmy. The teen hauled the small, light boy up and set him down, letting him fall to his knees, gasping for air as he hyperventilated slightly, and then reached back down to grab Sarah.

Only for her hand to grasp air.

Angie gaped in shock as an evil smile spread across Sarah's face, and then she fizzled out of existence, while maniacal laughter rang through the stone chambers, and she vaguely recognized it as Jonny's cackle. Jimmy started crying again, while Angerona thought over everything that had happened since they woke up. Sarah had never once touched anyone, even when Jimmy had originally freaked out, and suddenly it all made sense! Sarah had never been with them; it'd been a hologram sent by Jonny to lead them astray, only Angie was stronger and better than the bald-boy must have originally thought.

"The pawns are in place, let the games begin!" Jonny's voice echoed down the metal halls, bouncing all over the place. Jimmy cried harder and clung to Angie's leg like a small child, and the punk awkwardly patted his head as he let out all of his bottled emotions while just sitting on the cold metal floor.

"Angie, what did Jonny mean? What games are beginning now?" Jimmy finally asked, still hiccuping in distress. Angie glanced down at him momentarily, and then shifted her glance to travel throughout the metal halls.

"I've honestly not a clue, but I know we won't like it."

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

Evil laughter poured from his lips as he watched the monitors, panicked expressions on the faces of some of his victims. Eddy, sitting in a corner, crying, clutching his head, and rocking back and forth like a small child, trapped in his own mind. By the end of the night, he will have suffered the most out of all of them.

Double D, yanking on his hair as he paced while Kevin watched worriedly, rubbing at his arm and glancing around suspiciously every so often. The jock had gotten only some of what was coming to him with the needle hallucinations, and Double D would soon be thinking his intelligence a curse.

Nazz was running, sweat already pouring down her face, matting her hair to her forehead, the panic on her face clear and oh-so-delicious. He loved seeing pain and fear, especially on a girl as pretty as Nazz.

Ed was up to his armpits in water, splashing around frantically and shouting nonsensical things. He would obviously be the first to fall this night, out of all of the victims. It seemed the dumb always fall first.

Rolf was screaming, trapped in a small room and was under the impression the walls were closing in on him. He had shoved both arms out against the walls, trying to brace himself and prevent the walls from crushing him, pleading with whomever bothered to listen that he would do whatever it took as long as they saved the son of a shepherd.

Jimmy was still crying, and had opted for a piggyback ride on Angerona's back. Jonny had actually planned on Jimmy falling first, but Angerona was an unexpected piece that had been put into play and he wasn't quite sure what to do about it. The punk was looking disgruntled, but trudged on with the smaller, younger, lighter teen on her back, her gaze guarded as she looked around the halls, obviously listening for some kind of trigger that could lead her anywhere she needed to go. She was unaware of the fact that her shirt had been partially ripped open, and Jonny cackled with glee. He could see that her chest was not nearly as small as she would have people believe.

The mastermind turned from his monitors, heading for the control panel, stepping on the mangled body of Sarah without a care in the world. The still-warm blood splashed onto his shoes, but he didn't care. His own hands were covered in the girl's blood, which was starting to dry and flake off. She had been the unfortunate soul who had fallen right into his waiting hands, and he's sliced her stomach up, pulling out her intestines and gouging her eyes. She had pretty eyes, so he'd wanted to save them. They were now sitting in a jar next to the monitors.

"Don't worry Plank. Even with Angerona in play on the board, we'll come out on top. None of the Eds will be leaving here alive."

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

"Ed does not like the sea, guys! It's too much like bath time but without the yucky soap!" When Angerona heard that shout, she sprinted toward Ed's voice as fast as she could, despite the fact that Jimmy was on her back, fast asleep, although her running woke him up.

"Angie? What is it? What's happening?" Jimmy cried, but Angie ignored him, running to each door in the hall and placing her ear against every single one, hearing nothing, so she moved on. Ed's shouting stopped, and she started panicking, dropping Jimmy to the ground, causing him to cry out, but the boy was immediately back on his feet with nary a complaint. He sensed how dire the situation was.

"Ed! Ed, if you can hear me, keep yelling!"

"Angerona, Ed is scared of the sea! It is filled with horrible shocky monsters!" Angerona jumped, the shouting closer than she expected, and she moved to a nearby door on the other side of the hall, pressing her ear against the metal door, Jimmy trailing behind. The circular window was blacked out, but she didn't need to see through it because she could hear splashing and running water from the other side. Panicked, she grabbed the metal handle and twisted it down, to no avail. Naturally, it was locked. She was starting to get really freaked out now, panic overrunning all other rational thoughts, which was why she took her fist, and glanced at it.

She could punch really hard, and she just hoped this worked. Angie took a deep, shaky breath, and then slammed her first against the black window. It bounced off, but she heard a crack from the thin-paned glass, so she hit it again, and again, and again, until finally, her fist slammed through the window. She hissed as the shards of glass dug into the skin of her pale hand, but was relieved as water gushed out, now mixed with her blood, and she jumped back with a shout as an electric eel also fell out.

"Oh God! Ed!?" Angie called, reaching her arm into the window, ignoring the sharp pains that shot through her arm as she bent the elbow down, grasping for the handle on the other side, which she couldn't quite reach. Angie extended her fingers all the way, and felt the brush of the metal handle. Standing on tip-toe, she pushed down on the handle, and the door sprung open, swinging out, pouring out the rest of the water and eels, which flopped around on the wet ground, electrifying the water.

"Ed...?" she asked quietly, stepping carefully over the puddles of electrified water, and then rushed to his side, because he wasn't moving, or breathing. "Oh God, please don't let him be dead, please, please, please," Angie begged softly as she began chest compressions on the lovable oaf of an Ed. She didn't know much first aid, but she did know CPR.

_'Please, please, please...'_

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

"Please, do walk faster, Kevin. We need to find the others as soon as possible so we can escape this place," Double D said. He was pacing along rather quickly, but Kevin, the jock, the star football player, was actually the one lagging behind. Ever since Double D had snapped him out of that hallucination, he'd been jumpy, always glancing over his shoulder as he walked.

"Yeah, right, Dweeb...Did you hear that?!" Kevin shouted, jumping a mile high as heard yet another (imagined) sound. Only this time, it sounded like footsteps, as if someone was following them. Normally, he'd hear cackling, or screaming, or some strange voice threatening him with a needle. Granted, he'd only heard that last one once, but it had scared him so bad he had nearly jumped into the weak nerd's arms, causing them both to fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Kevin had sworn to Double D the voice had been right by his ear and completely realistic, but the genius was still annoyed.

This time though, instead of sighing in annoyance, Double D paused. Now that he thought about it, he had thought he'd heard footsteps earlier, but just dismissed it as Kevin's fear making him paranoid.

"Did you hear it, Double D? The footsteps?" Kevin prodded. Double D just nodded, his knees beginning to tremble in real fear, while his hands came up to pull on his hair. They both listened closely, and over Double D's nervous chattering, they heard the footsteps gradually grow louder, before it seemed that they were surrounded on all sides by people walking past them, like in the halls of a school, but there was no one there.

"What the hell?" Kevin exclaimed as he felt his arm grabbed, and then he shouted out in alarm, turning and taking a swing at whatever had him. Only to meet air. The feeling of being grabbed ceased, as did all the echoing footsteps, until their was only one set left, and it sounded like whoever the footsteps belonged to was running right towards them!

"Run Dweeb!" Kevin shouted, grabbing Double D's arm and dragging him down the hall behind him, sprinting as fast as he could with the nerd's dead weight. Double D had frozen in terror, his logical mind scared stiff with thoughts of a murderer come to kill them. Angerona's words from before they'd all fallen into this underground prison were ringing in his head. If she had sensed the trap, then obviously a psycho had set it for them. A treacherous part of his mind was whispering it wasn't logical, they had no enemies except Eddy's brother and he was in prison so it couldn't be a trap and Angie was wrong. But he trusted Angie's instincts; she had a knack for these things, so he was going to go with what she had said, which meant all of their lives were probably in very real danger.

"Kevin, Double D? Like, wait up dudes!" they heard a familiar voice, and both skidded to a stop as they risked a glance back and finally saw Nazz come into view. She was panting and sweating, as though she had been running a long time, and when she reached them, she bent over, hands on her knees and breathing heavily. "Thank goodness I found you guys and not some other nightmare thing. There's this area back where I came that's like an asylum, which is where I woke up, and then I passed through a prison, where I was chased by some mutant Doberman Guard Dogs, and then a hospital when I heard you guys and I ran to catch up."

"Geez, what's with this place?" Kevin muttered. He'd flinched at the mention of the hospital where he woke up, and was now rubbing his arm and looking around nervously, as though expecting something to jump out at him, which wasn't all that unlikely.

"It seems to me as though someone has designed all these rooms for specific fears for each of us. Whoever it was, lured us into a trap and dropped us into our greatest waking nightmares. Who knows what they've already done to Jonny!" Double D exclaimed. He was horrified at the thought of something happening to the naïve boy, who didn't have a mean boy in his body.

"Yeah, but whoever did this would have had to know a lot of shit about us, or have done research or something. It would of taken a long time, and couldn't have been random if it was. I mean, already it's been proven they know my fear, and Nazz's, and probably yours too, Dweeb," Kevin pointed out. He knew he wasn't the brightest guy, but he could put two and two together, and he was definitely starting to sense a pattern.

Double D said nothing. He was thinking deeply about this predicament. If all their fears were known, then...Ed was probably drowning right now! "Good Lord in heaven, we've got to find Ed!" Double D exclaimed, startling his two companions, and then he took off, running as fast as his legs could carry him. With shouts of alarm, Nazz and Kevin followed him, extremely confused about his sudden change in demeanor but unwilling to be separated from the genius.

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

The walls were closing in on him. He couldn't breathe. It was only a matter of seconds before he was crushed by the black metal walls, he knew it. He sucked in huge, gasping breaths. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that was a bad idea; he would be running out of oxygen shortly, but he wasn't thinking about that. he thought more on the crushing, agonizing anxiety. This would be a slow, painful death. What had he done to deserve it? Was he not a good enough son? Was that it? He despaired to know.

So this was how it ended, then? Years of living off the land, scraping by only just during the winters of the Old Country, and the way the son of a shepherd went out was because he was crushed by modern, black metal walls?! It was just too tragic. Perhaps it was a test. If so, he was failing.

Unbidden, a wailing scream escaped his lips, and he braced his feet against the walls, pushing with all his might to free himself, hot, salty tears starting to pour down his face. It was no use. He was as good as dead. Sobs overtook him and he slid to the ground curling up as small as he could so that he might prolong the inevitable death. What would eternity be like? Where would he end up? Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory? His shoulders shook with fear and sadness as he cried, shutting his eyes and pressing the palms of his hands against his closed lids. He took shaky breaths, waiting for the pain, for the darkness to claim him, as he descended into the pool of despair and hopelessness. He was alone in this darkness. He must have done something to deserve this.

He would have been content to sit there awaiting the end, but it was not to be.

Nightmarish faces danced before his eyes, all of them laughing at him, at his failure. Anger surged through him at their laughter, and it was a strong enough wave of emotion to strengthen him, to drag him from his dark pool. "You dare mock Rolf?! Rolf will show you all!" he suddenly screamed, and found an extra burst of strength within himself, jumping to his feet and punching out both hands blindly towards the dark walls. He'd always been exceptionally strong from all the work he did in the fields of his home, but this was a hidden reserve of strength he didn't even know he had as he managed to bend the metal walls away from him, and then one hand broke through one wall, finally letting some light filter in.

His heart roared in his ears as both hands came toward that hole with hope rising in his chest, grasping at the edges as he ripped them apart to create a larger hole, barely big enough for him to slip through, but slide through he did, and he collapsed to the ground, hands in front of him as he crouched there, inhaling as much free air as possible, tasting the salty tang of his own tears, simply glad to be alive. And then he laughed. It was a slightly hysterical laugh, but it was one of joy as he collapsed on the metal ground on his back, staring up at the boring ceiling.

He'd done it! He'd faced his fear and conquered death! He'd sensed the devil reaching for him, but now it would know that it could not ensnare the son of a shepherd so easily! As he came down from his hysterical laughing, his thoughts wandered to his friends in the cul-de-sac. They'd fallen, too!

"Hold on fellow children of Rolf's new village! The son of a shepherd will save you!" Rolf screamed as he leapt to his feet, and then raced off to search for them all and so just that.

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

No! Run, run, run! It's not true, it can't be true, he won't let it be true! But he could not move, he just stood there, shut his eyes and tugs at his dark blue, almost black hair, tears streaming down his face of their own accord. He will not look. If he cannot run from the nightmare, then he will not look at it. To look was to make it true. He'd rather walk around blind than face a horrible truth.

_"Why don't you open your eyes, little coward? Little crybaby...you're weak. Open your eyes and see! You denied it so, until it was too late and they have all fallen! That's why this has happened! It's all your fault!"_

"Noooooo!" Eddy screamed, shaking his head in denial. He made the mistake of opening his eyes, and he quickly snapped them shut again, but it was too late. The picture was imprinted on his brain. Even with his eyes closed, he could still see it. His best friends, Double D and Ed, his crush, Nazz, the other kids, they were all dead, mutilated beyond belief with the blood forming a sticky pool on the concrete ground. He was sitting in it, covered in their blood, the iron-like scent enveloping him like a lover's embrace and making him gag.

He wanted to vomit, it was so disgusting.

It was hard to look, but gradually he did, his eyes slowly opening and his gaze landed on the twisted form of his best friend. Even in death, the genius clutched his precious hat to his head, his pale skin even more so now, and his cold fists locked around the fabric. The crimson stains of his blood were everywhere, nut Eddy could see no wound, which was the worst. How could he save his best friend with the limited first aid he knew if there was no wound to patch? It made him feel weak. Eddy hated to feel weak.

His gaze flickered to his greatest enemy and combatant for the beautiful Nazz's heart. Kevin's mouth was open in a wordless scream, a gaping hole in his left side where his intestines were partially pulled out, and one leg was bent at an awkward angle. Eddy coughed, and then doubled over and threw up, the bile burning his throat on the way up, splashing on the ground and mixing with the blood.

Rolf's spine had been twisted. The foreign kid had put up a fight against whoever attacked him, but was no match for their strength, even with his own, because if it wasn't true, how else could he have been picked up, spine snapped, and then tossed aside like a rag doll? The last expression on his face was one of rage.

Angie was missing all her limbs, and they were scattered around the room. Eddy winced as he saw one of her arms lying in a pool of blood near him, deep, angry scratches covering the severed appendage and the area where it should have been attached to her shoulder was a purple color. Her face was horribly disfigured, her nose bent at an awkward angle and cuts slashed across her eyes. Her face was frozen in a soundless snarl.

Sarah's eyes were gone, gouged out by what looked to be a spoon, which was tossed aside carelessly on the ground, but he could see her missing eyes nowhere. Her stomach, like Kevin's side, had a gaping hole with vital organs missing.

Jimmy had been strangled by a piece of metal. It kind of looked like barbed wire, yet eerily reminded Eddy of the headgear the weak boy had once worn. His expression was panicked, and there were tear tracks dried on his cheeks.

Ed...oh God, Ed's head was missing! It was...oh God. Eddy promptly threw up again when he saw Ed's head was hanging from the doorknob of the only exit, a pained grimace on it's face, (he said it's because he couldn't bring himself to think of it as Ed...that would make it real) and the normal child-like innocence and happiness was gone from his eyes.

Each and every death was horrible in it's own way, but Nazz's was the worst. Her throat was slit, and her face was twisted with horror and agony. Eddy could barely bring himself to look at her. Her pants were in shreds and there was blood all over her legs and...

He threw up one final time, looking away from the girl he had adored almost more than the money he was always after.

_"Is this what you wanted Eddy? They're all dead. All who ever defied you, dead. You're free...oh, but I forgot. You hate to be alone. You hate not having friends, you hate feeling weak, most of all, you hate not having anyone to watch out for you. No matter how much you deny it, you need some protection and you know it..."_

Then the voice changed, to one he would recognize anywhere, one that haunted his dreams and transformed them into nightmares, "It's just you and me now, little bro."

He screamed, and Jonny 2x4 watched as the leader of the Eds writhed on the ground, screaming, trying to run from a nightmare that he didn't realize wasn't real. Jonny smiled at Eddy's pain, the expression on his face was worth more than all the money the con-man had ever scammed out of him. Hell wasn't where he'd planned to be, but this revenge was sweet, and it made him smile, for it was all he seemed to have left was this desire to see them squirm, to cry in fear. If he was condemned, so what? He got what he wanted.

Gently, he ran a hand over Eddy's hair, causing the teen to flinch unconsciously in his dream-state, and a crazed cackle fell from his lips. Eddy had been trapped in his own mind by a little drug Pl- no, Timber, had said would be perfect for their noble cause, and the mastermind was right, but all he really wanted was to rip out Eddy's organs and keep them in his jars as prizes. Soon, though. He's tasted blood this night, and before it was over, he'd have enough to fuel him for eternity, but he was patient and he could wait just a few more hours. "Don't worry, Eddy. We'll watch you suffer a little more, but it'll all be over soon. Very soon. You know what's going to happen?" and here he bent down and hissed into his enemy's ear, "I'm going to take out your heart and keep it in a jar. It'll be my greatest prize, even if it's from a worthless piece of shit."

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

"Rolf will save youuuuu!"

Kevin paused. "Did you guys here that?" No one could manage a reply before all three were promptly bowled over by a 200 hundred pound boy who was entirely muscle.

"Double D Ed Boy! Nazz Girl, Friend Kevin! Rolf has saved you! There is no need for thanks," Rolf said proudly, sitting atop his friends with his arms crossed, nose in the air, and a proud smile on his face. His clothes were torn and he had bite marks on his arms, suggesting that maybe he'd run into the Dobermans Nazz had fled from, taken them on, and won the fight. It would have been comical if not for the fact that the foreigner was crushing the smaller teens.

"Get offa us, man!" Kevin roared, and the quarterback managed to knock the strong farmer off. Rolf pouted as the other three teens righted themselves, as though he was disappointed he had not been properly thanked despite what he had said.

"I am elated to see you Rolf, but have you perchance run into Jimmy, Sarah, Ed, Eddy, Jonny, or Angie?" Double D asked politely, dusting himself off and straightening his shirt. Somehow, he'd stayed relatively clean the whole night. Rolf was already shaking his head.

"They're probably dead," Kevin said bluntly, and Nazz scowled, punching the jock in the arm at his harsh words. "What?" Kevin demanded at her dark look, and when she nodded toward Double D, who was pale and looked like he might faint, Kevin's face softened and he muttered a small, "Oh."

"I'm sure they're fine, Double D," Nazz tried to assure him, but Double D didn't seemed to hear her, lost in thought momentarily. He just hoped Nazz was right because honestly he had no idea what he would do without Ed, Eddy, and Angie. They were his only close friends, and while the disagreed on certain things and teased him mercilessly, he trusted them. He'd fall apart without their social support, too. Though, that was the least of his problems right now...

"I'm terribly worried," he admitted, almost to himself, and then a loud speaker crackled to life after he said that.

"I wouldn't be so worried about Ed and Sarah. They're already gone, and I'll put Eddy out of his misery soon enough. I'd be worrying more about Jimmy and Angerona over anyone else. They're the ones who are going to go through hell before I end them," a familiar voice said, followed by a crazed laugh.

"What the fuck man?!"

"Is that...Jonny?!"

"Rolf shall show you to mess with Rolf!"

"Well, little genius? What's your plan now? You're too caught up on the numbers, aren't you? Gonna fall apart without your little friends? I look forward to the show!" Then with a final, crazed cackle, the loudspeaker cut off and Edd sunk to his knees, clutching his hair in his fists again, vaguely hearing Kevin curse, and taking almost no notice of Nazz's concern or Rolf's rage.

No...Ed was...gone? The dear, lovable oaf was...gone? And Sarah...what horrors had she faced at Jonny's hands before meeting her own end? Was Eddy being tortured even as he thought about all the facts? What about Angie and Jimmy? There were factors and odds, all of which were against them. They were on Jonny's turf, and were short a few key members of their rag-tag team. The chance of all of them getting out alive were less than 1.5%, and the chance of even one of them surviving was a measly 10%. He felt despair wash over him and the hot burn of tears gathered in his eyes.

They were all going to die.

He was brought out of his musing by a sharp slap across the face, his head jerking sideways with the force of the slap. Blinking back the tears, his mouth gaping in shock, he turned back to face Kevin. The red-head had a somewhat annoyed/bored look on his face as he sat on one knee directly in front of Double D. "Knock it off, dude. It's all gonna be fine. Just wait. Eddy will be back to stealing our money and Ed will be an idiot, Sarah will be yelling, Jimmy'll be crying, and Angie's gonna be bitching again tomorrow. Jonny was obviously lying, so don't worry. Okay?"

Double D was momentarily struck dumb by the serious and sincere way Kevin was speaking, and then his face heated with shame for the way he'd been acting, and he bowed his head and nodded in mute agreement. Kevin was satisfied and stood back up.

Then Nazz was in front of him, smiling kindly and helping him to his feet. "Let's go find the others."

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

He watched both groups, and his prisoner. They were never going to make it out alive. Even as a depressed, red-rimmed eyed Angie and still-crying Jimmy trudged ever farther away from Ed's lifeless body, and Kevin, Nazz, and Double D grew closer and closer to the other two, he felt no worry. So maybe they'd die together in a large group. So what? He didn't care. As long as they died.

"Revenge is almost complete, Timber. They'll pay for all they've done," Jonny muttered darkly to the masked piece of wood sitting beside him. Timber did not reply, but Jonny did not seem to notice. He was only really addressing the piece of wood out of habit, not necessity now. He knew, deep down, it was not Timber pulling the strings.

It never was.

It had always been him. Or, a part of him, anyway. If he had to guess, and if he was still sane, he probably would have said that Plank had been like another personality that his parents had tolerated because it did no harm to have Plank around. They were well aware their son needed friends and so long as he was happy and believed he had one, they weren't going to make a big fuss over the minor chance that Plank was a split personality, or that maybe he was a crazy voice in the kid's head, nudging him to do things he normally wouldn't. No harm no foul, right?

Wrong.

Jonny grinned as he watched the two groups unite, highly amused as Rolf stared unashamedly at Angie until she snapped at him, causing his face to turn red, while the others hugged and spouted nonsense of being happy they were all safe, and a diabolical plan slowly formed in his mind. Naturally, he knew all the nightmares he'd caused everyone. He reached out and hit a few buttons, one that cut off the flow of the loopy gas in one room, and the other to unleash to Dobermans and other things that would chase the six teens straight to a medium-sized, square white room.

Perhaps it was time to bring Eddy's nightmare to life.

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

Her breath came in short, ragged gasps, her legs starting to burn as she pushed herself to her limits as she raced down the metal corridors. Jimmy was clutching tightly to her neck, nearly choking her as he cried and screamed hysterically. She wanted to drop him on the ground as some kind of makeshift sacrifice, but knew better than that. He was such a sweet kid and she couldn't bring herself to ditch him, no matter how much he screamed and cried. Then she cursed herself mentally.

Damn it, hanging out with Double D was making her soft!

Speaking of the genius, she watched carefully as he ran. He wasn't very fast and was starting to lag behind. If he tripped it would all be over for him. Those hounds were hot on their heels, along with some crazy killer robots. What she wouldn't give for a bazooka right now!

Mind made up, Angie slowed slightly until she was behind Double D and then, with a grimace at the chewing-out the boy was gonna giver her after this, she kicked him in the rear as hard as she could, shouting out, "Kick it in gear, Dee!" as he was sent flying through the air, past Kevin in the lead and collapsing in a little heap of indignity. The jock yanked him back to his feet as he reached the genius and hurried him along.

That was when Angie stumbled. She felt the hot breath of the hounds on her heels, right before teeth sank into her left ankle. With a scream of rage and pain and twisting awkwardly, she kicked the dog as hard as she could in the skull with her right leg, causing it to yelp and release its grip, tripping up the others behind it and giving Angie just enough time to high-tail it out of there, uncaring of the trail of blood she left behind her.

"Ahead, dude! There's a door! We're saved!" Nazz cried, and Angie found the strength to speed up, her sight seemed to be filled with only that door. Safety. Freedom. She tried very hard to block the little whispering voice in her head that said something worse could be behind that door. Damn it, she was going to be optimistic while her life was on the line like this!

They made it through with barely an inch to spare, slamming the heavy metal door behind them and throwing the latches into place as the dogs and robots hurled themselves against it with all their might.

Rolf noticed the trail of blood first, "Pink-haired girl is hurt." Then he pointed to her ankle, and she looked down. The damn dog had bitten right through her combat boot! Damn it, how the fuck had that happened?! It shouldn't of been possible! She cursed and said as much, sitting down on the ground. Finally, Jimmy unlatched his arms from around her neck and the punk could breathe properly again. "Let Rolf see," he stated as he sat down by her on the white floor, the crimson of her blood like a bright red beacon.

Jimmy, Rolf, and Angie were so wrapped up in the minor injury, Rolf insisting on treating it, Jimmy worrying, and Angie telling them to fuck off because she was fine, that they didn't notice where they were, or the fact that there was someone huddled in the corner, until Double D shrieked, "Good God! Eddy!" The three snapped to attention as they saw the other three race to the huddled figure, who was clutching his hair and having a panic attack.

"D-Double D? Kevin, Angie, Jimmy, Rolf, NAZZ!" Eddy screamed, and then flung himself at the three nearest to him, trying to hug them all at once and Angie was shocked to see he was crying. "You're alive! You're all okay!" he laughed hysterically, and cried until he calmed himself. "Where...where are Ed and Sarah?"

"Dead, of course, Eddy, just as this one is about to be," Jonny spoke, and the teens all spun around. Somehow, Jonny had entered without them hearing and had gotten ahold of little Jimmy, a piece of barbed wire wrapped around his neck as Jonny held it taut, to strangle the youngest. Jimmy was crying and struggling, but he was quickly growing weak. Angie growled and paced forward, and with his free hand, Jonny swung a gun at the girl, making her pause. She was hesitant to throw her life on the line in such a way, even if it was for sweet, innocent little Jimmy.

"Why are you doing this, Jonny?" Double D asked, pacing forward. He was determined to stall Jonny so Angie could find a way in to take him down.

It worked.

"Revenge, of course! It's like Angie thinks, no, knows! Revenge makes the world go round! It's why I'm here, still alive! You all attacked me when I tried to help, and it was all your fault! You stupid Eds ruin everything! Plank was right when he said we should have ended you despite interference from the others before! Nothing good can come from an Ed! After that, _**I**_took your place! I became the nobody, I became the outcast, I became the one the rest wouldn't talk to unless it was something spiteful! I thought it was a whole "trade" kind of deal, but then Angerona came along and you lot welcomed her without a thought! Well I'm done being the freak! It all ends tonight!"

As he'd been speaking, Jonny had lowered the gun, though he was waving it about as he talked with his hands, and Angie felt safe enough to slowly inch towards him. Jimmy wasn't moving, not struggling anymore, and that worried her. She could not see any breath in his chest. Without making a sound, she struck at Jonny, and the two tumbled to the ground, the gun knocked from Jonny's hand and Jimmy freed, to crumble to the ground like a broken doll. The barbed wire was embedded deeply into the skin of his throat and Double D flew to his side in hopes of saving the poor boy.

"Is he okay?" Nazz asked fearfully. Double D shook his head, tears springing to his eyes yet again. Jimmy had no pulse, and he didn't know CPR. Well, he knew it, but...it was too late. Nothing he did could save the boy now. Jonny had had that wire around his tender throat for a good two minutes. Nazz gasped and started to cry, while Kevin and Eddy were in shock and Rolf was retrieving the fallen gun.

A sudden screech from Angie drew their attention. The girl with bubble-gum pink hair had fallen back, clutching her hands to her face. Jonny had whipped out a knife, and blood was pouring down Angie's face, getting in her eyes and matting her hair. The girl was now blind, on the ground, at the mercy of a crazed killer.

Even as Jonny advanced on the punk, Rolf gave a battle-cry, swung the gun at the teen, and started firing. The bullets shot through the teen repeatedly, always hitting their mark, and when the gun was out of bullets, Jonny finally fell to the ground, dead, and Rolf threw the gun aside, rushing over to the rest of them with labored breathing. He gently pulled Angie to her feet and guided her towards the door in the floor Jonny had come through with the other living teens following.

"Let's get out of here and call the cops."

R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

In the end, it was Kevin who had made the call, the others too shook up or in pain or bleeding to do it. The cops had arrived in record time, going under ground to take care of the monsters and clean up the bodies. No charges for Jonny's death were held against Rolf, which was a relief, and after spending hours being questioned and medically treated, the teens stood gathered in the now empty street of their neighborhood. The sun was rising, its beautiful yellows and oranges lighting the sky and chasing away the dark. A nightingale gave a final call before they would fall asleep until the night consumed the land again.

Angie inhaled the cool fall air. It had that crisp tang of winter on the wind, and she allowed a small, peaceful smile to cross her face. She had honestly thought she wouldn't live to see another dawn, or hear the cry of her favorite bird pierce the still air.

"Y'know, it feels like the world really shouldn't keep spinning like this," Kevin finally commented, surprising them all. The jock normally wasn't sensitive to anything, nothing ever fazed him.

"Wars are fought, blood is shed, cities are devastated, it all really means nothing in the end. The sky has watched it all pass through the ages, and the sun always dawns on the next day," Angie replied quietly, ignoring the shocked stares of her friends. It was almost poetic, how she spoke, and how she thought now. She appreciated beauty now, and the sun, and the rest of the world. Maybe she'd start trying to pass high school, get new friends. She needed to reasses her priorities. After this, she wasn't sure if she would look at anything the same ever again.

There was more silence, and then Eddy spoke, "We'll never be the same again, will we?" Angie shook her head alongside Nazz, Double D, and Kevin, while Rolf replied,

"Right you are, Ed-boy."

The blanket of silence enveloped them all again while they watched the sun slowly rise and the surrounding area started to stir for a new day. This time, Nazz broke the silence. "I'm gonna head home dudes. It's been a long night and I want to try to sleep. I don't know about you guys, but I'll probably be having nightmares for weeks."

"Nazz, I don't think even Angie walked away from this experience without some possibility of a night terror," Double D replied, and then wished her luck on her chances of sleep before he departed as well, and Kevin followed soon after the two. Angie, however, didn't move. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the beautiful sunrise. When was the last time she'd just watched the sun rise on a peaceful sky? She needed to do it more often.

"Angie?" Without turning away, she hummed, and Eddy took that as an okay to continue. She heard him take a deep breath, and then his words came out in a rush, "I know we haven't always gotten along but tonight you proved yourself to me and I realized I was a real asshole and I just wanted to ask could we perhaps try to be friends?" he inhaled loudly and let it all out in a big rush after saying that, and relief practically rolled off him in waves.

Finally, Angie glanced at the shorter teen and she offered him a faint smile. It wasn't quite an apology, but it was a start. "I'd like that." Eddy gave a firm nod, and with all the dignity he could muster, turned away to march to his house. Now only Angie and Rolf were left.

Minutes that felt like hours stretched on and they stood in silence, watching the sky. Angie waited patiently for Rolf to say something, and he finally did, turning to face her and she did the same. Hesitantly, Rolf brought up a hand and gently touched the bandage wrapped tightly around Angie's head, a look of...remorse on his face. Even though it hurt, she did not flinch. She'd suffered worse than a slashed open brow. The wound wasn't deep, anyway. "Rolf is...concerned." So many things were left unspoken. His eyes seemed to tell her what he was so concerned over.

The wound, all of their mentalities, his own soul over killing Jonny, and what would happen next. Angie grabbed both of his hands in her much smaller ones and gave them a firm squeeze while offering him a genuine smile that shower all of her pure white teeth. "Don't be." Then the worry seemed to drain from him, but that tension was still around them. For a moment, time seemed to still, but it was gone just as quickly as it came and they broke away from each other. Angie did, after all, live further into the city, and not in the cul-de-sac, and they both knew it.

"I gotta get going. Still have to walk home. Goodnight, Rolf." She was back to her usual gruff self. Whatever had just happened, that strange spell, was broken, and Rolf offered her a strained smile.

"Goodnight, Angerona." And he sounded so like a normal American for once she didn't have the heart to be upset about him using her given name. The two went their separate ways as the sun rose ever higher in the night.

Somewhere, a lark began to sing of hope and new beginnings.

* * *

Meh. Not sure how I felt about that end.

But this monster, is finally done. I mean, gah, it was so long! It's like, a monster-sized one-shot thing!

Right there at the very end, the part after they escaped was inspired by Ice Queen by Within Temptation.

Anyway, what did you think? Love it, hate it? Review please!

P.S. if anyone wants to draw Angie, feel free, just let me know! I'd do it myself, but I can't draw so...

Okay, now I'll remind you one more time to review!


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